Human Rights Development in Central Asia since 1991

Mekhrubon Tajikistan

About

Centralasiengrupperna

KAZAKHSTAN

I was born in 1994. I work as a project manager in the field of youth.

The lives of young people today have improved significantly compared to Soviet times. The law today offers young people many more rights and opportunities than they had before. Nowadays, it is very easy to find an opportunity to leave the country for internships, studying or work – you just need the internet. In this technological era, a person can easily live in one country and study somewhere else. Unfortunately, Despite these positive changes in Tajikistan, the majority of young people dream of moving to another country permanently and building their lives there. Due to internal conflicts within the country, many young people are moving abroad, and unfortunately the government doesn’t seem to notice.

In the future, ideally, I dream that the opinion of young people should be taken into account at the state level, and that the state needs to understand that it is losing our trust, and that this is the most dangerous thing. After all, the future belongs to youth.

Central Asia Solidarity Groups (CAG) is a politically and religiously independent non-profit organization. Our mission is to promote a democratic Central Asia, with a strong, active and inclusive civil society ensuring that human rights are protected and social justice is achieved. We seek to accomplish these goals through long term solidarity work, trainings, exchange programs and advocacy efforts in the thematic areas of: 1. Democratic Youth Organizing 2. Gender Equality 3. Climate and environment 4. Conflict Transformation.

UZBEKISTAN KYRGYZSTAN TURKMENISTAN

TAJIKISTAN

years of independence of Central Asian Countries

How to get engaged?

Bank account: 9670 04 899 05 Swish: 1233698479 Registration number: 802467-0195 Phone: +46 73 646 7661 Email: info@centralasien.org Home page: www.centralasien.org Office in Sweden Centralasiengrupperna Djäknegatan 23 211 35 Malmö Office in Central Asia Abdykadyrova 3a 723500 Osh, Kyrgyzstan

@centralasiengrupperna

Five Central Asian states gained their independence from the Soviet Union 30 years ago. Each country has chosen unique paths of development and transition to a market economy. While some countries embraced advice from the international community to introduce and adhere to democratic principles of governance, others chose not to.

The region became of interest to China, Russia, the USA, as well as Iran, and Turkey, which placed Central Asia in the new "Great Game". Independence brought challenges in all spheres of the lives of ordinary people. Even though a tremendous amount of literature has been written about independent Central Asia, it does not always reflect the lived experience of ordinary people. This brochure is the collection of reflections from the people on how they experience independence, what challenges they face, and what hopes they have for the future.

Gulnoza Uzbekistan

I was born in 1977, in Uzbekistan. I got my degree from one of Samarkand’s universities and since then, I have been working as an accountant.

A lot has changed since the collapse of the Soviet Union, including the worsening situation of women’s rights. Women in Uzbek families are treated according to national traditions and customs. Though the USSR made many attempts to eradicate practices and traditions that discriminated against women, these changes have not survived up to the present day. After Uzbekistan achieved independence, the standard of living there has worsened – almost all factories have shut down, and large numbers of people have been left unemployed. During the Soviet era, education was free; however, this free education no longer exists, and schooling is now quite expensive for the average person. Gender relations between men and women have deteriorated as a result of low levels of education and employment. Sometimes, it even feels like the law itself does not protect women. In many cases, the law is considered secondary to traditional, stereotypical practices that often discriminate against women.

One of the hopes I have for the future is that changes are introduced to the law that would protect women and ensure their rights.

Saltanat Kyrgyzstan

I am from Kyrgyzstan and I was born in 1997.

I am a freelancer; I teach English, do social research and undertake interesting projects.

In my opinion, freedom is the foundation of a happy life. In our country, everyone must create their own freedom, but there are people who are ready to destroy it with one word, a glance or a punch. Words, manners, occupation, clothing – everything is closely watched. By whom? By the people themselves. Who forces them to judge? The people themselves. Why? That is a good question. The freedom of men is relatively greater than that of women. Men can move freely, unlike women, who move from one cell (their parents) to another (their husband). Fear is above comfort; fear has become the comfort of some while it suffocates others.

According to my mother’s stories, people were freer during the time of her youth, when nobody told people how they should live. Now, the country's economic and political situation is only getting worse.

Young people are becoming more progressive, and the older generation does not want to accept this reality after the collapse of the USSR. I can say that compared to 10-15 years ago, the power of religion is now much stronger, hence, the increase in conservatism.

But there are also new people – the generation of Instagram and Tik-Tok. These people are not afraid to express themselves, although it is difficult for them because of society's condemnations. There are new activists who are bravely demonstrating in spite of attacks against them. There are also independent and fearless media outlets that break down walls to find the truth.

I hope that in the future, people will have a positive attitude towards freedom and Kyrgyzstan will become a tolerant country toward all nationalities, and each person can live a sustainable life.

Guzal

Uzbekistan

I was born in Uzbekistan in 1985. I went to school in 1992 and I currently work as an entrepreneur.

I cannot personally reflect on the situation of women’s rights during the Soviet Union, but based on what my mom and other women who lived during the Soviet Union have told me, I conclude that women then had a more significant role in society than they do today. Women were respected and there were fewer differences between gender roles. Women had decent lives – they studied and worked. Unlike how it was in the Soviet Union, being a woman now means to be perceived as someone below men. It doesn't matter who you are – if you are a woman, you are treated as lesser than a man. I was affected by this when I divorced an abuser. I was humiliated by members of our mahalla (neighborhood) and the male judges in the court. I was also attacked by my ex-husband, who threatened to take my kids away, destroy my life and do everything to make my life a living hell. I still don’t understand why it’s believed that children should always stay with their father, even if he’s unstable and abusive. Even if a woman gets custody of her children, society still expects her to stay at home and take care of the kids, despite receiving a ridiculously low alimony that can’t even cover their basic needs. a woman then tries to work and provide for her kids, she is called a “bad mother”. What should be done in this case? It is a vicious circle! A woman, in her pursuit to protect her life and the lives of her kids, will still be humiliated and accused of impropriety by men.

As of now, one of the main problems [in Uzbekistan] is religious propaganda, in which religion is interpreted and weaponized by people for their own aims. It causes a number of problems for women, who are often terrorized for having their own views on religion. Women also suffer because of their looks, clothes, and the language they speak. I come from a mixed-ethnicity family – half Tatar and half Uzbek. Once, out of curiosity, I started speaking Russian at the grocery store and to no surprise I received responses in Uzbek language. Later, when I asked the person why they did not respond in Russian, they replied, “you look Uzbek”.

To be honest, I have always considered myself a patriot, but in light of recent developments that have affected me personally, my prognosis for the future is bleak. I do not see a future for myself or my children, unfortunately.